Sisterhood Partnerships

In May, 2012,Chairman Sharon Bulova signed a sister
jurisdiction partnership agreement with Keciroen, Turkey. The partnership
will provide a bilateral forum for exchanging cultural ideas and will
capitalize on the diversity of Fairfax County.

Kecioren is in the Ankara Province and has a population similar in size
to Fairfax County. Like Fairfax County, Kecioren has a thriving business
community, is extending rail through its urban areas, and we are both
investing in revitalization and beautification efforts. Both Fairfax and
Kecioren have made education our highest priority.

In July, 2009, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors formed a
Sister Jurisdiction partnershipwith a visiting delegation from Songpa-gu,
a district of Seoul, Korea, led by Mayor Kim Young-Soon. The Songpa-gu
government chose Fairfax County after their research on U.S.
jurisdictions found the County to be very similar to their home.
Songpa-gu, like Fairfax County, has experienced most of its growth within
a relatively short period of time. Its residents are among the highest
paid in Korea and its schools are excellent.

Songpa-gu, with a population of about 700,000 is concentrated on a
relatively small 13 square mile footprint. The district is full of parks,
green spaces, public art and recreational spaces. Songpa-guwas developed
around the area of Seoul that was the site of the 1988 Olympics.

Songpa-gu, like Fairfax County, has made protecting and preserving the
environment a major priority – to the degree that the Han River is now
used for drinking water and the river bank in many places has been
restored for pristine park and recreational uses. Like Fairfax County,
they are struggling with how to address traffic congestion and Seoul’s
“Climate Change Action Plan.”

Harbin became Fairfax County’s Sister in 2009 as part of a National
Association of Counties trip to the Washington Metropolitan area. The
District of Columbia, upon learning that Harbin is not a capital city,
declined at the last minute to sign on to an agreement, so Fairfax County
jumped at the opportunity.

Harbin is an up-and-coming city of ten million people in northern China,
near Russia and Mongolia.Harbin has begun ambitious plans to redevelop a
large area of the city, north of the Songhua River. Plans include
research and development parks for IT, aviation, aerospace, navigation,
automobiles and rail transport.